Served Cold by Chuck Waldron Review for Pump Up Your Books

Join Chuck Waldron, author of the action adventure novel, Served Cold (WriteBy MeBooks), as he virtually tours the blogosphere December 5 – 16 2011 on his third virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book!

About Chuck Waldron

U.S. born, Canadian novelist Chuck Waldron is currently working on his fourth novel, a thriller about an investigative blogger who uncovers more than he ever imagines…and has no idea what to do with his discovery.

His first novel, Tears in the Dust, is a mystery set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War in 1937. When Alestair Ferguson volunteers to fight in the International Brigade he doesn’t realize the true price he will have to pay. Chuck’s second novel, Remington and the Mysterious Fedora, is a quirky fantasy, a story about what happens when a young man sits at the keyboard of a manual typewriter and puts on an old fedora. When the fedora and its mysterious power begins to whisper a story to him, the young man has a strange adventure indeed. His third novel, Served Cold,spans decades and stretches from the countryside of rural Ontario to a quiet artists’ studio in Tucson, Arizona. With lots of murder and mayhem in between, the story is what happens when a long-standing feud erupts into hot-blooded vengeance.

Chuck wrote over thirty short stories before setting out to write novels that are affordable and entertaining. He has attended writing workshops in Iowa, Florida, Georgia and Ontario, Canada.

“I grew up,” Chuck said, “listening to my grandfather, an Ozark Mountain story teller, spinning tales of the caves on his farm, describing them as hiding places once used by the Jesse & Frank James’ gang. It didn’t matter if the stories were true or not. Those legends set fire to my imagination, creating images that emerged slowly over the years, finally igniting as my short stories and novels.”

Now, thirty-plus short stories and three novels later, ideas keep coming, with more novels under development. Do they share anything in common? Each has its own unique voice and tale to tell, yet, at their heart, his stories tell about the human condition – the good, the bad and the ugly.

Chuck adds, “stored images that echo in my writing include train whistles in the night, Norman Rockwell childhood scenes, U.S. Army memories, blue collar jobs, university, a professonal career, and finally retirement. Many of my images are drawn from this pool of memories: places visited, sights seen, and people met. The rest I filled in with my imagination: dreams of places yet to be visited, sights yet to be seen, and people yet to be met.”

His literary roots were planted in the American Midwest and thrived when transplanted – over thirty-nine years ago – to the rich, cultural soil of Ontario. He and his wife, Suzanne, spend their summers in Kitchener, Ontario and are warmed by a winter sun in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

You can visit Chuck at http://www.writebyme.ca and atwww.chuckwaldron.com. Visit him at Twitter athttp://www.twitter.com/writebyme and Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/wordstir.

About Served Cold

For two families, revenge served cold is not on the menu. Fuelled by a long-standing feud between the clan patriarchs, nothing less than hot-blooded vengeance will do… Called to the bedside of his dying father in Atlanta, a young man never expects what is waiting for him. In a hospital room the man who raised him, isn’t his father. Instead, he learns about his true parents and a feud that went horribly wrong. For years an uneasy balance of power between two powerful businessmen remained intact. But when one discovers his daughter is pregnant and the father is the son of his hated enemy, a deadly game tips the balance. In a violent power play, he orders her lover killed, sending a clear signal to his nemesis. In hot-blooded retaliation, his adversary arranges punishment, a hit on the other family, drawing a special target on the head of the most prized possession: the young daughter. A trusted bodyguard and driver – with a few shady connections of his own – escape with the mother-to-be to the presumed safety and anonymity to await a birth, a new beginning. But no place on Earth is safe from all-out revenge. As assassins close in, Rocky narrowly escapes with newborn baby Sean and goes into hiding, creating a new identity. Disappearing into another world, he is able to raise Sean in peace for many years. Hearing this incredible story, a young man is drawn to the truth about his family roots and a growing need for some act of revenge, to seek atonement for the parents he never knew. What he discovers when he gets there will force him to make a choice: to succumb to a path set before him by the fate of his heritage, or turn away and forego the desire for vengeance pulsing in his veins?

My Thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised when I started Served Cold by Chuck Waldron as the story started with a bang and kept going from there. This is a story about revenge with two warring families, I should say the patriarchs of the two families. The reason for the Hatfield & McCoy type hatred really isn't explained but needless to say it has devastating consequences for all involved. A fast paced story of revenge, murder, love and loyalty. I read this book in a few sittings and enjoyed it thoroughly. I highly recommend Served Cold to all fans of mystery and suspense. My review wraps up the tour for this great book. I hope to read more from this author.
I received a copy of this book from Pump Up Your Books and Chuck Waldron for review and was not monetarily compensated for my review.

Chat with Chuck at Pump Up Your Book December Authors on Tour Facebook Party!